Painting and Sculpture
Definitions and Samples
1. abstract adj. Not concrete and realistic; not obviously related to everyday
experience
Abstract painting became popular partly because early photography
was very realistic.
Parts of speech abstraction n
2. context n. A larger environment that something fits into
In the context of Soviet Russia, public art had to be about the triumph
of communism and its leaders.
Usage tips The preposition in often comes before context, and an of
phrase often comes after it.
Parts of speech contextualize v, contextual adj
3. depict v. To show in pictures
Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel depicts
nine scenes from the Bible.
Parts of speech depiction n
4. dimension n. A direction or surface along which something can be
measured; an aspect
The three dimensions of physical objects are length, width, and
depth.
One dimension of the problem is their long history of competition.
Parts of speech dimensional adj
5. esthetically adv. In a way that relates to beauty or appearance
The outside of the office building is esthetically pleasing, but the inside
is dark and unpleasant.
Usage tips Esthetically is often spelled with an “a” at the beginning:
aesthetically.
Parts of speech esthetic n, esthete n, esthetic adj
6. intrinsic adj. Being part of the basic nature of something
Frequent elections are intrinsic to a democratic system.
Parts of speech intrinsically adv
7. perspective n. A way of seeing from a particular location; a way of
thinking about something
From my perspective, the entire town can be seen through a set of
large windows.
They held different perspectives on how to care for their aging
parents.
8. portrayal n. A description or drawing that reflects a certain point
of view
Most portrayals of Abraham Lincoln emphasize his sense of humor
and his honesty.
Usage tips Portrayal is often followed by an of phrase to indicate
what is being described.
Parts of speech portray v
9. realism n. A technique that tries to picture something as it really looks
Realism was popular among seventeenth-century Flemish painters
like Rembrandt van Rijn.
Parts of speech realist n, realistic adj
10. spectrum n. A range of different things, usually colors
Bart’s colorful designs include every color of the spectrum, from
deep blue to vibrant red.
Usage tips The phrase the spectrum frequently means “the colors
that the human eye can see.”
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The Written Word
1. advent n. Coming; arrival
The advent of the automobile greatly increased the demand for
petroleum.
Usage tips Advent is usually followed by an of phrase.
2. ambiguous adj. Having more than one possible meaning
The sentence It’s hard to say is ambiguous, with different meanings
in different contexts.
Parts of speech ambiguity n, ambiguously adv
3. connotation n. A meaning implied, not stated directly
When my boss says,“Thank you,” the connotation is that she’s done
talking and I should leave.
Parts of speech connote v
4. decipher v. To figure out the meaning, even though it is written in a
code or an unknown language
The Rosetta Stone helped archaeologists decipher ancient Egyptian
writing.
Usage tips A cipher is a code or puzzle; decipher means “solve a
puzzle written in code.”
5. denote v. To mean something clearly and directly
An “X”next to a name on this list denotes a person who has been
chosen for the soccer team.
Parts of speech denotation n
6. illiterate adj. Unable to read
In many villages nearly everyone was illiterate and unschooled, and
the few who could read held great power.
Parts of speech illiterate n, illiteracy n
7. ingenious adj. Very clever and imaginative
Ann thought up an ingenious way to keep other people from accidentally
taking her pens.
Parts of speech ingenuity n, ingeniously adv
8. inscription n. Something written into a piece of rock or metal
The inscription on my ring says “August 1,” because that was the
day of our wedding.
Parts of speech inscribe v
9. phonetic adj. Related to the sounds in a language
Children learning to write often make up phonetic spellings, based
on the way a word sounds.
Parts of speech phonetics n, phonetically adv
10. symbolic adj. Acting as a sign for some other thing or idea
Since the 1970s, yellow ribbons have been symbolic of hope that
someone will return from a dangerous situation.
Usage tips Symbolic is often followed by an of phrase indicating the
meaning of a symbol.
Parts of speech symbolize v, symbol n, symbolically adv